What we've been up to....

So, it's hard to believe it's been about 6 months since I last blogged!  Life is pretty crazy and fun around here.

The kids are almost out of school.  Here's what they have been up to as of late.

Lauren is still loving school and makes friends wherever she goes.  Around the beginning of March, a boy in her class, Will, sent home a little note and a gift every day for at least a week.  My favorite note was the one that said when they were 15 he would take her to Red Robin, just the two of them.  It was very cute.  I think Lauren was not really phased by him, but I am sure she loved the attention.  He's a cute boy....Lauren has made it clear she just wants to be friends, at least I think so!  :)  She loved her gymnastics class that she took all year, and she can do a mean handstand!  She has now lost 6 teeth, the latest being her bottom tooth that we think she swallowed in her sleep last night.  Oops.  She also did very well at Awana, a program at church on Wednesday nights.  She completed two books and can recite all the books of the New Testament and most of the books in the Old Testament.  She also got perfect attendance, which I can't believe.  She loves to read and write in her journal and draw and organize productions.  When we went to Florida for Spring Break, she worked for weeks before we went on sets and costumes, etc for the kids to perform the Lego Movie for us.  (they were too busy having fun to actually do the show, but her devotion to the project was pretty amazing!)

Lauren reading the girls her diary (she is always orchestrating
something!)  After this, they played freeze dance with her ukelele.

Lauren before the Mighty Titan run at her school.  She did great,
but she was ready for  a shower as soon as it was over!

Alison has had a great year of school this year, and her writing has improved SO much.  She recognizes and can write all the letters of the alphabet and all her numbers.  She is starting to recognize words, so I don't think it will be long before she starts reading too.  She has had a great year of school with Ms. Joy and her class of 7.  They are all very in tune to each other, and she always talks about chasing the boys at recess!!  Her obsessions right now are playing Sorry and working puzzles.  She can work an entire 150 piece puzzle all by herself and she doesn't want help, she is very determined to do it all by herself!  This afternoon, she worked a USA puzzle all by herself by looking at the box and recognizing the pictures of things on the box.  She also loves, loves, loves all things Frozen.  She is quite the actress when she sings all the songs, especially "Let it Go."  Her best friend is still Avery and they are both doing the Jr Kindergarten program at their preschool next year, so I am excited they will be together for another year.  Alison also loved her gymnastics class that she did, and is getting close to doing a cartwheel.

Alison and Avery

Ready to roast marshmallows in the fire pit!

Drew started school in January and he has LOVED it!  He attend on Monday and Tuesday mornings and he cried the first two days and since then, he just goes right in and sits down and gets to work.  He is definitely comfortable there since he was there for Alison for school all year last year and the first part of this school year, as well as church.  He has made a couple friends, and will go 3 days next year.  He also enjoyed coming to Bible Study Fellowship with me on Wednesdays and his gymnastics class on Thursday mornings.  He just started climbing out of his bed last week, so we put the toddler rail on his bed and we are having some struggles with staying in his room.  Hopefully he will get it quicker than his oldest sister did!  He still loves his Cars and Thomas the Train.  He is amazing with his knowledge of the names of all the Cars movie characters and Thomas and all his friends.  He plays by himself so well.  He also loves to read books and work puzzles.

Drew ready for the Oaks!

Brad has been travelling to Dubai and South Africa since the beginning of the year, which has been challenging for all of us.  He was gone for two weeks at a time, but recently has just been going a week at a time, which is definitely more managable.  He is loving the work that he is doing to expand the business in international markets and has really wracked up the miles for sure.  He is quite the expert international traveller now.

Both Brad and I have become runners.  We ran in the derby half marathon in April, and finished in 1:56 with a pace of 8:48, which was our goal!  It is such a great thing for us to do together, and Brad has signed up to run his first full marathon in November in Indianapolis.  I am not that crazy yet, so I am just doing the half, but I am excited for this challenge for both of us!